Take Fieldtrip Photos Like a Pro

So you’re going on a trip? Congratulations! Okay, so maybe it’s not the tropical escape you deserve, but one in the field with the kids can be just as rewarding. Remember, you’re lucky enough to be one of the select adults joining your child’s class on a fun outing. Here are some tips to help you make the most of that field trip, not just for your own experience, but for those parents not able to go.

Job #1? Safety.

Student safety is your first, second, and perhaps third priority for you as a parent field-trip chaperone. Safety in numbers and ensuring enough adults means a smooth experience for everyone. Recognize that you are a teacher’s helper, whether that means wrangling the bus line-up or performing the museum “sweep” at the end of the day.

Job #2? Photojournalist.

When your school is a Vidigami school, your job as field-trip chaperone includes a vital—and fun—responsibility: Official Documentarian. By taking photos of the field trip, you become the lens through which all the other parents can see.

You’re the lucky one—Not all parents can carve out time in their busy schedules to head out on that trip to the science center, and they miss out on the opportunity to share in the field-trip experience. But as a field-trip parent, you fill that void. With Vidigami, all the photos you take on the trip will be uploaded and shared. Those pictures instantly relay the experience the children share, the impact the trip has upon them, and the memories they’ll preserve and cherish.

As a parent, browsing Vidigami gives you a window into your child’s school experience. Picture this: askingrelevant questions about your child’s day. (“What was that creature you were looking at?” “Oh, Mom, just a really creepy sea lion!”) Those richer and more engaging conversations will show you just how much you can learn about your child’s school world.

Back to the field trip: When you’re on that outing, make sure to “spread the love,” as we say at Vidigami. Photograph all the kids, don’t focus just on your own child. You’re the family photographer for many different families! And as soon as you can, be sure to upload your pictures onto the Vidigami grade site when you can. Even if you don’t consider yourself a professional photographer, the experiences you capture will be valued by your family, your school, and especially the other parents.

The Field-Trip Photographer Top Six

Finally, some helpful tips for capturing the class trip:

Quality and quantity are both important. Take lots of pictures. The more the better. Your fellow class parents will thank you…as long as your pics are in reasonable focus!

Get shots of the kids experiencing the focus of their trip. Pics of kids waiting or riding the bus are good too, but try to emphasize the purpose of the travel in your photographs.

Don’t try to get every single kid in one shot—Pics with one-to-five children are just great.

Make eye contact! If you’re pointing your camera phone at the tops of heads, give them a quick shout—“Hey kiddos, over here!”—to get those great smiles on film (well, digital media, anyway).

High-end cameras are great. If you have one, take advantage. But it’s easy to capture a great memory with camera phone too. The important thing is to take that picture!